virtualamericafandomcom-20200213-history
Ross McCallen
Ross Lachlan McCallen (b. July 1, 1962, in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland) is a Scottish-American media commentator whose primary focus is on U.S. politics. He began his media career as a student, working in both print and radio, and has since worked for radio in both the United Kingdom and the United States. He is currently the host of Upfront w/ Ross McCallen. Early Life and Education McCallen was born and raised in Dumfries, where he attended government schooling and graduated from Maxwelltown High School in 1980. He went on to attend the University of Stirling, where he studied journalism and sporadically wrote for local and student media on a freelance basis. While still an undergraduate, McCallen participated in a study abroad program at the University of Washington, where he ultimately attended law school. He received his bachelor's in journalism studies from Stirling in 1983 and his Juris Doctor from the UW School of Law in 1985. Radio McCallen began his radio career in law school, when he was a disc jockey for KEXP-FM, UW's campus radio station. As a DJ for KEXP, he became known for his program "Stealth British Invasion," which showcased British artists who were outside the mainstream. He continued his music radio career at Seattle's KIXI/KLTX-FM station, but made plans to transition to talk radio. In 1992, he left the station to become a radio correspondent for BBC News in Los Angeles. He was based in Los Angeles from 1992 to 1996, then in London from 1996 until his departure from BBC News in 2000. While with BBC News, McCallen did straight news, which he later states "was a pain, because I tried really hard not to let my opinion seep into my news coverage, and I hope I succeeded." From 2002 to 2008, McCallen was a correspondent for KOMO, a news radio station in Seattle. In April 2008, McCallen left KOMO to start his own program, Wake Up w/ Ross, on talk-oriented station KTTH. Wake Up w/ Ross, which blended news and opinion, focused primarily on both Washington and U.S. politics, with Ross typically interviewing local and state-level politicians. Ross's style impressed Salem Radio Networks, which scouted the country for new national talent. In 2014, McCallen signed a contract with KTTH and Salem to begin Upfront w/ Ross McCallen, which focused on national and global politics. Personal Life In 1988, McCallen met Charlotte Parsons, a paralegal from Puyallup, Washington, at a function for UW Law graduates. The couple wed in 1991 inside the Expo Hall at the Western Washington Fairgrounds (now the Washington State Fairgrounds) in Puyallup. In 1994, their daughter, Cara, was born in Glendale, California (where the couple resided at the time). Cara McCallen is a 2012 graduate of Liberty High School; a 2016 graduate of the University of Washington, where she received a bachelor's in journalism; and is currently a copy editor for the Temple Daily Telegram in Temple, Texas. The McCallens have resided in Kirkland, Washington, since 2013. Prior to that, they resided in nearby East Renton Highlands from 2000 to 2013. Ross and Charlotte own a vacation property in Dalbeattie, Scotland, which they rent out for most of the year.